A decrease in conjunction error rates across lags on a continuous recognition task: a robust pattern.
In four experiments, the lag retention interval from parent words (e.g., blackmail, jailbird) to a conjunction word (blackbird) was manipulated in a continuous recognition task. Alterations to the basic procedure of Jones and Atchley (2002) were employed in Experiments 1 and 2 to bolster recollection to reject conjunction lures, yet conjunction error rates still decreased across lags of 1 to 20 words. Experiment 3 and a multiexperiment analysis examined the increments of forgetting in familiarity across lags of 1-20 words. Finally, in Experiment 4, participants attempted to identify conjunction probes as "old", and the data were contrasted with those from a previous experiment (Jones & Atchley, 2002, Exp. 1), in which participants attempted not to identify conjunction probes as "old". In support of earlier findings, the decrease in familiarity across lags of 1-20 words appears robust, with a constant level of weak recollection occurring for parent words.
Jones
Todd C
TC
School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. todd.jones@vuw.ac.nz
Atchley
Paul
P
D001288:Attention; D006801:Humans; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D013997:Time Factors